On getting leads without an audience

Every once in a while, I’ll get a question I realize I should answer in public.

This was one of them:

"How do you get leads when you don't have an audience?"

Some of you will dismiss this as a question for beginners (or for a sector that has nothing to do with your work). Before you do, remember this:

Your audience can dry up at any time for any number of reasons, unless you have a few key things in place.

Stability isn’t the same thing as security.

This was part of my response:

1. Behavior change at scale (which is what you're looking to do) requires a network. That's just what the science says. Specifically, you're looking to form an inner circle of your own with (multiple) connections to other inner circles (See my kitchen scratch sketch for reference 🥲).

2. It's fantastic that you're working on finessing your framework because the only thing more important than this (very specific) network configuration is ensuring that your ish is as memorable as possible. And to do that, you need something (a few things but starting with one will do) that will capture the attention of the folks you want in your corner. That is just how the 🧠 works. Your framework can serve as a great foundation for all your memorable brand assets (which by the way is all that branding is).

3. With your network and memorable assets in place, that's when I'd suggest you look for speaking opps. Your network will be good for that and your brand assets will make sure those opps click with and influence the right folks.

The Chicken Scratch

Hope this helps! I know this situation feels not great (trust me, I know). But I know having a list of things to do that I knew would work helped me :)

Feel free to reach out/ DM if you need to vent!

P.s. don't feel the need to wait for #3 to start prospecting. You can do that right from step #1. Just know that things are likely to be more successful after step #2.

Let’s break this down to it’s principals:

1. You need to be actively building, and curating a network. Whether that’s a PR and Advertising network (as larger private companies tend to do), a network of supporters (as social and public organizations do), or both. The particular kind of network (and there are LOTS of kinds of networks) and particular blend of stakeholders frankly depends on your level of development and the kind of enterprise you’re running.
   
   As for the network configuration in my chicken scratch sketch, that’s the configuration you want when the idea you’re trying to spread is complex—at least according to network science. And if you hail from a historically underrecognized community, the idea you’re trying to spread is complex by default. Not because your ideas are more complicated, but because your social identity makes parsing your ideas more complicated.
   
   That’s how the Invisibility Tax works: people have been conditioned to ignore you.

2. You need memorable brand assets. And in order for your brand assets to be memorable, they need to capture attention at the very least. That is literally the only way they stand a chance of making it past the brain’s filters.

3. You need to actively generate demand. That looks like getting in front of people who have never heard of you or your work before (and, as a bonus, making the behavior you’re looking to encourage the path of least resistance).

Obviously, things can and do get a lot more complicated than what I’ve presented here. But these are the basics.

Always start with the basics and return to them often.

p.s. If you suspect you’ve fallen prey to the Invisibility Tax and you’ve got questions, join us for our LIVE Visibility Q+A. We’ll Talk nerdy to you and answer any question you have abou these principles!